GOLDSBORO STREET MALL PROPOSAL
To propose the closing of a block and a half
of any street takes much consideration and justif
ication . All traffic which is affected by the
street must be allowed for on other routes and
any parking existing on the street must be relocated
and allowed for in off-street par ki ng lots.
The street must be located sufficiently close to
the busiest part of the central business districts
in order that cU6tomers wi II take ful I advantage
of its uses. The mall area must be so designed
that a fire engine can sti ll have access
to the fronts and upper stories of the shops and
bui Idings on the mall. Also service and del ivery
must be allowed for. And above all, the area
must be so designed that the mal l is a pleasure
and a desirable place to be in.
The Goldsboro street Mall plan proposes to
close one block of Goldsboro Street between Hash
Street and Barnes s treet devoting it entirely to
pedestrian uses. The mall is divided into several
areas for different uses. Tree and grass groupings
at either end of the mal I serve to contain
the space within the mal I while providing benches
and shaded areas for the shoppers. The paved open
areas at either end of the mall provide display
and gathering spaces which are to be used to attract
people into the mall. The fountain and
space around it maya Iso be used for lim i ted d i splay,
but primar ily it is a focal point or meeti
ng pi ace. PI anters, shrubs and trees shoul d be
used liberally throughout the mall to tie the
different spaces together.
112
Coupled with proper landscaping and regularly
scheduled activities the mall should become
one of the most active spaces in the downtown
area. The final design wil I have to be worked out
in detail by qualifi ed professionals , but the
potential is there and it remains only for the
active merchants and city officials to work togeth
e r toward the real ization of this plan.
State Publications Collection
